Giant-stride.



h M. B. REACH.

GIANT STRIDE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.15,1912.

1,042,271. I Patented 001;. 22, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 M. B. REACH.

GIANT STRIDE.

APPLIGATION FILED APR.15, 1912.

1,042,271 Patented Oct. 22, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

MILTON B. REACH, OF CHICOPEZE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO A. Gr. SPALDING & BROS. MANFG. (30., A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

GIANT-STRIDE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON B. REACH, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicopee, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Giant-Strides, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to exercising apparatus of the type known as giant strides.

My object is to provide such apparatus as will be adapted to gymnasiums of different dimensions, and particularly as to height of ceiling, and one in which the floor space may be cleared for use in playing basket ball or other games.

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view of a portion of the ceiling or rafter structure of a gymnasium with my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a sectional View through the head of the apparatus; Fig. 3 is a View of the head with another form of depending connection for the strainin rope. I

In these rawings, the ceiling rafters are shown at 1, and to these are attached guy ropes 2, and I find that four ropes are sufficient for the purposes of my invention, these ropes converging downwardly and be ing attached at their lower ends to the upper members 3 of a head to which the depending flexible connections are attached, one of these being shown at 4 in the form of a rope with transverse bars or hand holds 5. The member 8 is provided with eyes 6 for the attachment of the guy ropes, and this member supports a bolt or rod 7 which is screwthreaded into the same, and is also held by a nut 8 screwed onto the upper end of the rod "or bolt, the said nut resting upon the member 3. This bolt, at its lower end, is screwthreaded into a bottom piece 9, and between this bottom piece and the upper member 3 the revolving head 10 is arranged, ball bearings being interposed at 11 between the head and the upper and lower members. These upper and lower members have lips or edges 12 which embrace the adjacent portions of the head. The revolving head has eyes 13 carried by arms that extend laterally from the head in any suitable number. These eyes receive the fittings on the upper ends of the ropes 4;, so that by the user grasping the ropes 4E and moving about the vertical axis of the head, the head will be turned and the giant stride exercise can be secured in the ordinary way. The lower member 9 is formed with an eye 14 arranged axially of the head, to which is attached a straining rope 15, the lower end of which is provided wlth any suitable straining device at 16 connected with an eye or other suitable device in the floor. By operating the straining device 16 the head is drawn down, placing the guys 2 under strain, and thus forming a substantially firm or rigid structure for holding the head against lateral deflection while permitting its free revolution. It will be seen from this structure that the head may be located at a certain distance above the floor without regard to whether the ceiling is high or low, and this will enable the giant stride ropes 4 to be of normal length, and will avoid the objection to a rope of excessive length which, in a gymnasium of small dimensions, would cause the user to come in contact with the wall when the rope is at its greatest angle. The upper member 3 or rather the central rod or bolt terminates at its upper end in an eye 17 to which a hoisting rope 18 is attached, this passing up over a pulley 19, and to a pulley 20, and thence to a pulley 21, from which the rope depends and carries a weight 22. By releasing the rope 15 the whole apparatus may be hoisted from the floor, the weight 22 performing this function, or hand manipulation may be used, if desired. When so raised the whole floor space is cleared for use of a basket ball team or for other purposes.

In Fig. 3 I show a form of the apparatus in which the central bolt 7 is extended a considerable distance below the member 9* of the head, and terminates in an eye 14L which performs the functions of the eye 14: above described, namely: that of securing the upper end of the straining rope 15. By thus lowering the point of attachment between the fiexible rope 15 and the rigid structure of the head, the head is held more rigidly against tendency to tipthan in the form first described.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a giant stride apparatus, a head having a rotary member, guy ropes extending upwardly and outwardly from the head at an angle, and a central straining rope depending from the head and attached to the floor, substantially as described.

2. In combination in a giant stride apparatus, a head having a rotary member, guy ropes extending upwardly and outwardly from the head, a central straining rope extending downwardly from the head and attached to the floor, and a hoisting rope attached to the head and extending upwardly, from which point it is guided downwardly whereby the apparatus may be hoisted when detached from the floor, substantially as described;

3. In combination in a giant stride apparatus, a head having a rotary member, guy ropes extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom, a central straining rope attached to the floor, the said head having a bar or rigid member depending therefrom a con siderable distance below the head. to which the straining rope is attached, substantially as described.

4. In combination in a giant stride apparatus, an upper member having means of attachment for guy ropes, a lower member, a central rod connecting the upper and lower members, and a rotary head between the upper and lower members having means for attaching the giant stride ropes thereto, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MILTON B. REACH. lVitnesses:

MAY JAMESON, I. M. CONVERSE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

